Almost in the can
almost 6 years ago
– Sun, May 13, 2018 at 12:33:59 AM
I know I said progress reports on Monday, but the last 24 hours were amazing.
The Basic Combat Rules for the Berserker pledge level are finished. I laid them out instead of just a word file. They're 51 pages long.
The full PDF is now in a playable, sort-of-complete state. I believe I've got everything that's going to be in the book in the book. All the text (all edited but Foes), tables, art holes and some art, placeholders for the Index and ToC, the AppendX, and a character sheet.
It comes in at 292 pages for now, and my goal will be to get it down to 288, which is a bit more than I was shooting for, but it shouldn't change much.
I was not expecting to be this far along by today, so I was able to turn a draft over to Christopher for indexing to begin.
This doesn't really bring me "ahead" of schedule, but it does keep me solidly on schedule.
Regardless, my plan was to have a playable if unfinished (meaning "fit and finish," not "still writing rules" PDF ready for you guys to start reading and using the day the KS funds settle. I expect to receive notice of that on Monday (it should have been tomorrow, but I suspect 'first business day' will do), and then 1-3 business days (probably 3) to hit the bank. When that happens, I'll send out the files and push the button on the surveys.
Progress Report: To-dos and To-done's
almost 6 years ago
– Mon, May 07, 2018 at 11:29:23 AM
A week makes a big difference, and a lot happened in the past 7 days.
The biggest stuff that was on my formal to-do list:
-
Look at the skald spells and ensure they're in the spells list.
- Check the new spells from the added Clerical Domains and make sure they're in there somewhere.
- Rewrite and examine the equipment list to add a bit of Norse flavor, as well as some issues I've had with the armor list
- Re-analyze the fighting styles for fighter to make sure all is consistent and no style is more or less powerful than others out of the box
- Cut down the combat rules for the Berserker level's reward
- Write rules for flyting, a ritual exchange of poetic insults
- Trim and edit the "AppendX" (misspelled purposefully, pronounced Append-X) for the new rules inclusions
The short version: all of it got done this past week.
The Long Version
The skald and clerical spells were mostly just tedious. Look at each one, and double check whether it was completely missing (some were!), or whether it needed to go in the spell descriptions but not the clerical spell list. Call Lightning, for example, is not a usual clerical spell: you only get it if you're in an appropriate domain.
The equipment list was more fun. I had a layout already for Chapters 1-4 (see below: Editing and Layout), and I didn't want to muck it up. Mostly, I tweaked the weapon's list. I got a thrusting Long Knife in there which replaced the sickle as a simple piercing weapon (light, finesse, not throwable). The shortsword got renamed as the long seax, and is now a 1d6 slashing weapon. I also added a one-handed broadsword. A martial, 1d8 slashing weapon that is not versatile. Why take a non-versatile weapon when the longsword is still available (mostly made in Arnulf and Brionnu)? Because those one-handed swords were what the vikings used.
The second part of the list was a more sensible armor table. I came up with some behind-the-scenes math that worked with some of the assumptions in the original table, and then - given that spending lots of cash on armor now has game-mechanical value due to the social standing mechanics - made sure that higher DR was costly, that efficient armor (low weight per point of DR) was expensive, and that not having Disadvantage on stealth rolls was expensive. I also renamed or replaced a few armors, namely slapping some lamellar armor on there a few times, reclassifying scale as the heavy armor it can be, and moving the historically-viable ring mail into the medium armor section with some edits.
That was the mission, and it worked out as follows:
If you hate it, you can use your own table from other source material. But this is the one for the book. You'll notice that some of the armors got very expensive; fine craftsmanship works that way.
The re-analysis of fighting styles was something I dreaded a bit, but it turns out that by and large my prior math held up fine. The following things are more or less equivalent to each other, though the balance assumes a 10th-level fighter giving and receiving blows. So some might be better/worse at low/high levels, but on the average, these things are all equivalent:
-
+2 to your primary combat attribute, giving +1 to hit and +1 to damage
- +2 to your Threat DC
- +3 to Hit DC without altering Threat DC
- +4 to your Critical Threshold
- +1.5 to 2 base damage
- Increasing a weapon from d8 to d10, and +1 to critical threshold
- +3 to hit
- Reroll 1-2 on 1d8, and +3 to critical threshold
Each of these represents between a 15-22% change in vigor per attack vs an unarmored foe, or reduction of vigor on the defense, or a 25-30% change vs. DR 4 (lower base damage means increases are worth more). So expect to see some of these show up in fighting styles. Where they don't (Archery, for example) it's because of other effects. Analysis like this will also help when, inevitably, Feats get introduced to the game.
One of the major things I did was in initial cut-down of the manuscript for the Basic Combat Rules, which is the promised reward for the $5 Berserker level. It's currently 77 pages long, which is much too long. My target is 32 pages, so simplification will be done. On the other hand, it's going to be laid out, not just a word file. So that was good.
I also chopped up the extra rules content, and managed to save about 10% wordcount between shields and other things as I tightened up the language. That will go into the back of the book. Alternate rules and expanded shield options wound up being about 3,000 words total: perhaps five pages laid out, maybe six. What's in them?
-
Facing and Flanking
- Shield Size and Type (from bucklers to pavises)
- Rules for weapon heft, in case daggers easily defending against greataxes bugs you
- A few lethality switches for GMs that hate, er, wish to challenge their players more
- Some notes on DEX and STR in combat, making DEX the "hit stuff at all" ability, and STR the "hit stuff hard" ability. Includes notes on adding STR ratings to bows
- A nifty new concept that Eric Diaz and I worked out on replacing the DEX bonus categories for armor with an encumbrance slot method. If you're strong enough and you carry little enough gear . . . you can get +5 DEX bonus while wearing plate armor. Since armor provides DR not increases to Threat DC, this doesn't break bounded accuracy
Editing and Layout
The rest of the time was spent on graphical design, editing, and layout.
Chapters 1-4 are essentially edited and finished. Vince has given me chapters 5 and 6 (those chapter numbers should really be called "manuscript sections" since the numbers don't correspond exactly to anything). He's working on Ch 7 (magic and spells) right now, and then he'll hit Ch 8 (most of the setting info) later this week. The largest single section of the book is the Foes section, which stands at 55,000 words as-is with no edits, and due to layout concerns, will actually get larger rather than smaller. I need to do some "Identify Fiend or Foe!" writing there.
But it looks like some time next week, which will be right about when the Kickstarter funds settle and cards are finally charged, we will be close to having an edited, laid-out document that can be distributed to the Thegn and higher level.
Oh, and Michael worked up for me a simple character sheet. It's not form-fillable (yet), but it'll appear in the back of the book, and has the right new concepts on it.
What's after that?
Quite a bit, actually.
Once the document is laid out, I will have art holes to fill. I've already put my art team on notice that I'll have some work for them, but no work is yet being done. I need to get my spreadsheet out of what I need: how many pieces, what size, etc.
From a layout perspective, once I've got my Ch 1-8 section done, and Michael finishes up Ch 9 (he's got tricks for Foes that save huge amounts of time), he'll give it a once-over for mistakes and tight layout, and make sure things are consistent. Call it editing check for layout.
Then the tedious process of hyperlinking/bookmarking begins, along with finding and marking references.
I suspect artwork will be the long pole in the tent. Four to six weeks there. That still puts "the PDF is done and ready to go to print" at the end of June.
Where are the pre-Orders?
I've had a few questions on this. The short version is that I have a potential line on a decent way of dealing with international shipping, I have your informal surveys, and that should allow me to properly calculate international shipping.
Until I hear back from the international fulfillment team, I can't put in shipping rates, and I can't go live with the Backerkit surveys, because I have incomplete information. I suspect that should change this week.
Final Touches
The printing cycle is usually 12 weeks long for offset. It can be longer, but I hope not. If it is 12 weeks, then I will receive the order in Minnesota by the end of September, and you should get your books in the USA by the end of October. Not ahead of schedule, but not late, either.
International may well be funny. Six of the twelve weeks are ocean and ground shipping from the likely printing location to MN. The roughly 50 books worth of "rest of world" orders (about four boxes worth) may wind up shipping early, since they'll go out to a different destination. So the timing should be about right even so. I'll keep you updated.
Skjald-hirð
Finally, the shields. I've got two in a near-final state, and will be getting the materials for the rest in the coming weeks. They're not due until October, but once I'm not at my computer at all hours on manuscript stuff, four to six additional shields will take about a week or two, so getting them out earlier than the deadline will be easy.
Dragon Heresy Website
Last thing: work is going on in the background on a dedicated website for the Dragon Heresy game and related products. That will be a thematic improvement for the overall product line. No timetable on this one, but my developer guy, Merlin (yes, really) and I worked out all sorts of SSL and certificate stuff over the weekend.
Parting Shot
So there was a lot that got done this last weekend, and things are proceeding apace.
It's important that I finish things up soonest. Not just for you guys! I have the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game conversion of Lost Hall of Tyr to Hall of Judgment to do, plus a minimum of two micro- or mini-settings for Dragon Heresy to write myself. Also another mini-setting for Dragon Heresy that a third party is interested in writing for me. Plus a science fiction game!
So there's a bunch of new product development going on here at Gaming Ballistic . . . but first thing's first: finish Dragon Heresy and get you guys a playable game.
To arms!
Monday Progress Update
about 6 years ago
– Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 12:31:52 PM
I'll send one of these out weekly on Monday, just so I keep everyone informed but do not do the spam thing.
Location Surveys for Shipping
We've got just shy of half the folks who have answered the location survey, which isn't bad at all. The purpose of this three-question survey is to figure out the best way to get your books to you if you're looking at physical product.
International shipping is a hot mess, and always has been. In all probability I'm going to be printing in the UK, Latvia, Korea, or China . . . all of which offer low/lower-cost shipping to "rest of world."
My intent is to use the surveys to ask these vendors to hold back a box or two of books from the print run and either ship them themselves direct to you guys or to send them to a third party who will individually mail them out for me. That should save quite a bit of money on that.
So: please fill out the survey! There are only three questions; it should take you less than five minutes.
Editing and Writing
The next task at hand is editing. Vince and I are through Chapter 1-4 already, which included the Introduction, Core Concepts, Characters, and Equipment.
"Done" is a relative term, but the next step here is to start laying out the book again with the new content included. Much of the new stuff - like the Runic Barbarian and the Skald - doesn't plunk down at the end of the book. It's right there in the middle. So it breaks the existing layout (that was expected) and I'll have to do it again.
That's fine. I learned a lot from the first go-around that should make the next one easier.
What's left to do?
- Check the spells. New classes have new spells, new domains have new spells, and need to make sure that the spells on the lists are covered in the book.
- I want to give the equipment list a once-over. I've noted some WTF? moments that I'll be addressing in the armor list, as well as some things like the fact that a proper one-handed sword isn't on the list. We need a Type II or Type VII viking sword - a one-handed-only 1d8 slashing weapon. The longsword (versatile) is made in Brionnu and Arnulf, and will still be present.
- I need to re-analyze the Fighting Styles present in the book to ensure that they are uniformly good. Eric Diaz and I have been working in the background on a bit of a "universal fighting style" concept - a list of things to pick from when choosing styles - that I want to apply here. Mostly, the styles won't change much, but there will be adjustments where "oh, you get +2 to hit with bows" isn't enough, or is too much.
- I need to hack down the combat rules, as promised, for the Berserker levels.
- I need to take the selected alternate rules - shields, others, and a nifty alternate encumbrance/DEX bonus scheme that Eric and I are working on - and get them into a layout
- I need to work with Michael to improve the 5e-based character sheet into a proper Dragon Heresy one
- I have quite a few "Identify Fiend or Foe" entries to write for monsters.
- I need to write simple rules for flyting; the social standing concept is already in
- I need to start working on the front matter and other things. Table of Contents. Title Page. Backer Page (I can do that now!). space for the Index, space for the glossary and pronunciation guide.
I'll be keeping an eye on total page count. The offset print run more or less means we MUST hit 256 or 272 pages, so if we wind up at 264 or something, I'll pull extra content into the book.
Printing and PDF Finalization
I'm sending out final quote requests this week. I've got one more bid I want to request, and the rest is just finally asking for exactly what I want. This isn't urgent, as I won't be sending out the final PDF for a bit.
Speaking of final PDF, just to reiterate how this is going to time out
Somewhere between May 11 and May 16, funds from KS will hit my account. That day, I will send out the Berserker PDFs and the PDF for the full game. It may not be *entirely* complete, but it will be everything that Vince, Michael, Christopher, and I have been able to do by then. It is already a playable game; I just want to send you the most advanced copy I can.
These two copies will go out in Backerkit.
Please read them, play them, comment on them. That comment period will go for 2-4 weeks. The more review we get from folks even for things like typos, and definitely for things like layout errors, the fewer errors that will be in the print copies. There are almost always some, but zero is the right goal. Also questions on clarity.
By this point (June 1-15 or so), the layout will be mostly finalized, so "hey, add this!" or "hey, change that!" Can only be accommodated if it doesn't reflow the document.
Once we finalize the PDF with your errata and comments and final art insertion (I know that I'll need to commission some new art, or buy some new stock art, for certain places in the book), we'll hyperlink, layer, and spool the document, and send it to the printer.
That should be in June sometime. It means between mid-to-late June and the end of July (the commit date), you'll get your final PDF.
Most printers run on about a 12-week cycle, and then shipping can take 1-4 weeks from there (more to the far-flung, like Australia and New Zealand). But that means that copies of the book should be hitting my driveway in September, and then out to you backers in October.
This is the most ambitious project I've done, and hiccups could still happen. But right now, there's enough margin in the schedule that "on time" is entirely plausible. I've been early by 1-3 months for my prior two Kickstarters . . . I can still hope for that for the PDFs, but the offset print runs just take time.
Add-ons: an option
Just a quick thought here. If you're going to be adding on Dungeon Grappling, Lost Hall of Tyr, or (yay!) a Viking Shield, you might wish to consider simply ordering them in the Gaming Ballistic store if you're in the USA.
You'll get your products much faster, and the final tally and goals is not impacted now that the KS is done.
This is especially true for the Viking shields - a few have indicated you might get these. It will be FAR easier for me to interact with you through email and my website for that, and the sooner I can get your specs, the better. Each shield is individually crafted . . . but there are many steps where it's easier to do several at once.
